New sensations Blossoms signing in ahead of Leeds dates

Tony Harber

Hotly tipped band of the moment Blossoms are expected to head straight for the top 10 with their self-titled debut album and are backing up this Friday’s release with a burst of activity that includes several dates in Yorkshire.

Not only are the glittering indie pop band playing Leeds Festival on the NME Radio 1 Stage at the end of the month, but they’ll be performing and signing copies of the album at HMV Sheffield (12 noon) and HMV Leeds (5.15pm) next Tuesday (August 9).

The Stockport band has announced a string of in-store signings and acoustic performances to celebrate the release and a full UK tour too for September and October to follow their festival appearance at Bramham Park on Sunday, august 28.

Any fan who cannot make the Leeds Festival can catch Blossoms at Sheffield’s Leadmill on Tuesday, October 4 and Leeds’ Beckett University on Wednesday, October 5.

Catapulted into the musical subconscious in January, listed fourth in the BBC Sound poll - as well as almost every other ‘ones to watch’ list - Blossoms have been carefully carving out their position in the canon of Great British rock’n’roll ever since.

The band have earned rave critical comparisons to everyone from The Arctic Monkeys to Depeche Mode and The Doors, shapeshifting between psychedelia, synth-pop and powerhouse indie, a mercurial sound at once familiar and unique.

“Fundamentally we want to be a great pop band,” says front man Tom Ogden.

“We’re influenced by the present as much as the past and we want to sound as modern as we can. We want to sound like a band who could only ever exist now, not then.”

The self-titled debut album was recorded at Liverpool’s Parr Street Studios and produced by Rich Turvey and the band’s sonic mentor, The Coral’s James Skelly.

The pair produced early EPs Blown Rose and Charlemagne (No. 1 in iTunes Alternative Chart as well Christmas No 1 in the UK Vinyl Chart), their first release of 2016 - the dark future-glam of At Most A Kiss (No.1 in the iTunes chart) and radio hit ‘Getaway’ (playlisted across Radio 1, 6 Music, Radio X, Absolute and Radio 2).

“James has been really important for us,” says Ogden.

“He can listen to one of our songs and instinctively know what bits to push forward. He’s got an amazing ear for a good pop melody. He just brings out our best, and makes it a little bit weird in the mix as only he can.

“Being fans of The Coral anyway, having him produce our debut album is a perfect marriage.”